Social affairs writing

social affairs writER

I have been working as a nursing and social affairs writer since I set out as a journalist in 2007. Social affairs journalism is often about exposing some of the worst privations of bureaucracies and those in power on the weakest. It is a very rewarding yet quite stressful area of journalism and while I had some good results as a social affairs writer (some of the victims I wrote about in the national press had their problems resolved) you need a very thick skin to listen to people’s stories, dig down into them and sell them to editors.

Here is some of the best work I have done.

2017

Over 2016 I did around 100 hours of research into the UK child protection system. I found that due to the government’s austerity programme, the system is badly failing the most vulnerable people of all in society – our children. I began a series of blogs on Medium.com discussing the situation. Read more here to see the effects of Austerity on child protection.

2014

2013

For Inside Housing, I looked how cuts to Legal Aid have resulted in disabled people having serious housing problems. They are unable to fight back when treated badly by their housing providers. See this here

I also focused his aim on cuts to mental health services in Dorset, publishing in the Sunday Express. See this here

2012

I did an investigation into a rogue landlord in Bournemouth in 2012, publishing this in the Sunday Express. Visit the story here

2011

For the Sunday Express, I looked at how a severely disabled man could not get housing from Weymouth and Portland Borough Council sun ex steve gurney nov 2011

2008

I did an investigation into UK police use of cells for holding the mentally ill in 2008. Download mhtodaypolicing

Richard looked at the statutory right to advocacy under the Mental Health Act. See mht0001 advocacy 2008